Hand brake mechanism for railway cars



y 13, 1939- J. E. LINDEMAN 2,166,256

HAND BRAKE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 26, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l y 1939- J. E. LINDEMAN 2,1 6 2 HAND BRAKE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 26, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 18, 1939. 1 UNDEMAN 2,166,256

HAND BRAKE MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 26, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 E .Zl'g'gld Inventor.- J'avnealfla'nciemm Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES Z,it6,256

PATENT @FFEQE James E. Lindeman, Evanston, 111., assignor to Champion Brake Corporation,

Wilmington,

Del., a corporation of Delaware Application May 26,

11 Claims.

This invention pertains to novel and improved means disposed within a casing and co-operating with means secured beneath a car for quickly taking up the slack for safely and securely applying the necessary power in properly applying the brakes, associated with novel means for locking and releasing the hand brake shaft employed in connection with hand brake mechanism for railway cars, and constituting an improvement on the means forming the subject-matter of a separate application filed under date of April 26, 1935, bearing Serial No. 18,414.

The prime object of this invention is to provide novel, simple, economical, practical, safe, and thoroughly efficient means for rapidly taking up the slack of the brake mechanism, whereby the brake applying mechanism is quickly and forcibly applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved brake operating gear operating wheel or winding drum formed from a single casting and provided with integral means cooperating therewith for practically performing the important functions hereinafter referred to.

Futher objects of this invention are to so design and construct my improved mechanism that the brake power is uniform throughout the chain travel of from seven inches to 18 inches; that the brake can be operated with one hand only, the leverage being so proportioned that the desired and required force is obtained by a minimum of exertion; that it will be impossible for the chain or other parts of the mechanism to foul; that the hand wheel is so designed as to prevent trainmen from reaching through between the spokes to operate the hand lever; that the hand release operating lever is arranged to throw to left when in applied position and to the right for release; that it will insure automatic release of the pawl from ratchet wheel when the hand brake wheel is moved in the direction of application sufliciently to release the pawl of the entire load, and that it will provide positive connections between the operating lever and pawl so that the pawl may be forced to the release position or to the applied position by hand.

The foregoing and such other objects as may appear from the ensuing description are accomplished by the construction, arrangement, location, combination and association of the several parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that slight changes in the precise shape, proportions and minor de- 1936, Serial No. 81,903

tails of the construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification it will be seen that:

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved brake mechanism embodying my invention, showing the position assumed by the bell crank and its connections when brakes are off.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, showing the position assumed by the bell crank and its connections when the brakes have been applied.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the mechanism disposed within the casing, showing the outer cover portion in section.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken through the casing.

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken through the upper end portion of the casing.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail, showing a side elevation of the locking and releasing pawl removed from the casing.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the pawl shown in Fig. '7.

Figure 9 is an enlarged front elevation of the main operating wheel or drum with a portion of the operating chain attached thereto.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of Fig. 9 with the chain removed.

Figure 11 is an enlarged side elevation of the bell crank removed.

Figure 12 is a front elevation of Fig. 11.

Figure 13 is a cross-section taken in the plane of the dotted lines .ra:, Fig. 11.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary view, showing the upper portion of the housing in cross-section with the operating lever in position ready to start release and by dotted lines in the release position.

Figure 15 is a similar view, showing the lever and pawl in position to apply the brake.

In the embodiment of my invention as. illustrated it will be seen that the numeral 1 indicates the front steel or cast malleable iron cover plate of the housing for inclosing and protecting the braking mechanism disposed between the front plate and rear plate 2 and supported by said plates, the front plate having a plurality of outward extensions 3, both plates having suitable openings for the reception of rivets for firmly securing the plates together, and larger openings therethrough for the reception of suitable bolts or rivets for rigidly securing the housing to one end of the car.

Suitably supported within the housing is the main operating shaft 4, to the outer end of which is fixedly secured the hand operating wheel 5 provided with a hub adapted to be fitted to the extended squared portion 6 of said shaft 4, while to the inner end portion of the shaft and forming an integral part of said shaft is a pinion I adapted to mesh with the main chain operating wheel 8 or chain winding drum hereinafter described, and constituting one of the important features of this invention, and intermediate of the shaft 4 within the housing is a ratchet wheel 9 integral with said shaft 4.

Disposed above the shaft 4 and supported 'with in the housing is another shaft ID, to the outer end of which is suitably secured a metallic handle member I I formed with an excess of metal at its upper end portion, and to the inner face at one side of the housing and integral with said housing are two inwardly extended members I2, each member having an opening therethrough for the reception of a pin I3 to which is loosely pivoted the locking pawl I4 disposed and maintained between the said members I2.

It will be perceived that the upper portion of the ratchet wheel 9 projects upwardly with its upper portion terminating substantially in horizontal alinement with the pivoted portion of the locking and releasing pawl I4 so that the ratchet wheel and pawl are always maintained in perfect alinement with 'each other, while the integral projecting formations I5 and I5 formed on the shaft ID are adapted to straddle both the upper end portion of the ratchet wheel and the outer end portion of the pawl, and the said pawl is adapted to ride over the ratchet wheel while applying the brake and to have locking engagement therewith when the brake shall have been properly applied, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, with the handle member sufficiently beyond its vertical center to insure automatic release of the pawl when tension is removed from the ratchet by a pull on the hand wheel. The weighted handle lever II, being in the position shown in said Fig. 4, will cause further movement of said lever to the right and simultaneously lift the locking pawl from looking engagement with the ratchet wheel by contact of the projections I5 formed on the shaft II) with the lateral extensions I6 formed at opposite sides of the outer end portion of the pawl I4, the upward movement of the pawl being limited by contact with the top of the housing.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. 4 and 5 that the projections I5 and I5 are formed integral with the shaft It), said projections being so disposed that when the lever II is moved to the right said projections will contact with the lower faces of the lateral extensions or ears l6 formed on the outer end portion of the pawl I4, thereby releasing said pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel 9, as shown in Fig. 14, and when the lever II is moved to the left, as shown in Fig. 15, the projections I5 are immediately disengaged from contact with the lower face of the extensions 16, while the projections I5 are caused to contact with the upper faces of the said extensions I6 and thereby force the said pawl into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 9.

Supported within the housing below the shaft 4 is disposed my novel and improved chain winding wheel or drum 8 formed from a single casting of suitable metal, preferably high grade steel, said single casting or wheel including gear teeth around its peripheral portion for meshing with the pinion I; said drum 8 is supported by a 'centrally disposed shaft I'I formed with an excess of metal I8 adjacent the central portion of the wheel 8 having a groove I9 formed therein, and with slightly concave surfaces I9 thereon as seats for the lower face of a link, see Fig. 9, while between said concave surfaces is disposed an outward extension tapered outwardly from the shaft and terminating with a rounded end portion; a plurality of strengthening ribs 2| are formed on the drum 8 extending from the shaft to the peripheral portion of the wheel or drum 8; a wedge shaped chain link guiding member 22 extends from the peripheral portion of the wheel 8 to a box-like member 23 formed on the outer face of said wheel adjacent the peripheral portion thereof within which is loosely secured the end link of the brake chain 24 by a pin which passes through the member 23 and is rigidly secured thereto, said guiding member 22 merging into a strengthening rib 25, and the outer face of the member 23, as is clearly shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings; the excess of metal I8 being so formed on the shaft and disposed with relation to the groove as to insure the necessary strength of the shaft I7, and thus compensate for the groove formation I9 within said excess metal, as is clearly shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings. I

Suitable means are provided that are adapted to coact for applying the brakes to the car by operating the wheel 5, as will now be described. To the brake rigging, usually disposed beneath the floor of the car, is connected for manual operation thereof one end of a chain, the other end of the chain being connected by a elevis 25 to the forward end portion of a bell crank 21 pivotally secured to a bracket 28 fixedly secured to the lower face of the end sill of the car, said bell crank being made of a single piece of malleable iron formed with a plurality of strengthening ribs 29, a peripheral trough-like grooved portion formed with a depressed shoulder portion 30, and an outwardly extended stop member 3|, and pivotally secured to the lower forward end portion of the bell crank by a suitable bolt or pin 32 there are a pair of links 33, which links are pivotally secured at their upper ends by a bolt or pin 34 to the lower end portion of the rod tension member 35. When in operative position the plane of the end link 36 is in the plane of the bell crank, while the plane of the next adjacent link is at right angles to the plane of the bell crank and the upper edge of said link 36 is adapted to engage the inner face of shoulder portion of the bell crank. When the brake is released, the extended stop member 3| formed on bell crank 21 serves to hold the rod and chain 24 away from the end of the car body, thus preventing the swinging movements of said rod and chain due to vibrations of the car while in transit causing any damage to the end of the car by contact therewith or frictional wear on the said rod 35.

It will be readily obvious that when the hand wheel 5 is turned sufficiently to cause a one-half revolution of the winding drum the chain 24 has imparted the proper movement to the bell crank, thereby rapidly taking up the slack, and the beveled or inclined end portion of first link secured within the member 23 is caused to rest against the outer correspondingly inclined surface of the member 20, while the second link straddles said member 20 with one face of each side of the link resting on the concave surfaces 19, and a portion of the third link being disposed in the. groove formed in the excess of metal l8, and the fourth and fifth links resting in contact with'the inclined outer surface of the member 22, so that when the chain winding wheel or drum shall have completed one complete revolution the member 22 has forced the chain laterally beyond the outer surface of the member 23, and the further winding of the chain will be continued around the shaft I! between the excess metal formation 18 and the inner face of the cover plate of the casing, as will be clearly evident by reference to Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings.

By the construction and arrangement hereinbefore described it will be seen that a quick takeup of the slack is attained by a one-half revolution of the winding wheel or drum 8 and that the chain guide member 22 prevents the chain from fouling by a lateral shift of the chain onto the reduced portion of the shaft, thereby enabling the brakeman to obtain the maximum of power in applying the brake, the braking strain being transferred from the first link pulling from the outer side of the wheel near its peripheral portion where greater resistance is met to the shaft, and after the usual slack of from seven to seven and a half inches is taken up the chain is shifted to the main body portion of the shaft H at one side of the excess of metal l8 and member 23, whereby auniform pull is obtained from seven or eight inches to eighteen inches.

When it is desired to release the brake it is simply necessary to exert a pull on the hand wheel as? in applying the brake until the load is released and the weight of the lever I will immediately cause the projections l5 formed on the shaft II) to lift the locking pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 9, and should an emergency arise the brake may be released by exerting sufficientpressure against the weighted lever to force the locking pawl out of engagement.

It will be understood that the several parts and members forming'my improved braking mechanism may be formed of any suitable or desirable dimensions, and of any material possessing the teeth around its periphery, a shaft formed with an enlargement adjacent the outer face of the wheel, having a cross groove formed therein, a plurality of concave portions formed on the enlargement, a projecting member disposed between the portions adapted to be straddled by a chain link seated on said portions, said member constituting means for guiding a chain link to and within the groove, a member near the periphery of the wheel within which the end link of the chain is secured.

2. Hand brake mechanism for railway cars, comprising a housing, a brake chain operating wheel journaled within the housing, said wheel consisting of a single piece, including gear teeth formed around its periphery, a shaft formed with an enlargement adjacent the outer face of the Wheel having a cross groove formed therein, a plurality of concave portions formed on the enlargement, means projecting from the shaft disposed between said portions for the reception of a chain link, a member formed on the outer face of the wheel for the reception of the end link of an operating chain, said projecting means and cross groove cooperating when engaged by the chain links to transfer the braking strain from the outer side of the wheel to the said shaft.

3. In a hand brake operating mechanism of the character described including a housing, a chain winding wheel mounted within the housing and means for operating the wheel, said wheel con sisting of a single piece, a shaft having an enlargement thereof adjacent the outer face of the wheel with a cross-wise groove formed therein for the reception of one of the links of the chain, a plurality of concave portions formed on said enlargement, a beveled projection disposed between said portions for the reception of a chain link, a box-like member formed near the peripheral portion of said wheel and having means for securing the end link of an operating chain thereto, and an inclined member extending from the peripheral portion of the wheel to the outer face of said member for shifting the chain laterally beyond said projection and member.

4. In hand brake mechanism of the character described including a chain winding wheel formed from a single piece, a shaft formed with an enlargement adjacent the outer face of the wheel with a crosswise groove formed therein for the reception of one of the chain links, a beveled extension formed centrally of the enlargement for the reception of another link of the chain, a concave.portion disposed on each side of said beveled extension upon which the link is seated, a box-like member formed on the outer face of the wheel body portion and having means for securing the end link of an operating chain thereto, and an inclined member extending from the peripheral portion of the wheel to the outer face of the box-like member adapted to guide the chain laterally beyond the enlargement and boxlike member.

5. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described, a chain winding wheel or drum consisting of a single piece having a shaft member formed with an enlargement adjacent the outer face of the wheel with a plurality of concave portions formed therein, a member formed on the outer face of said wheel adjacent the periphery thereof, said member having means to attach the. end link of an operating chain thereto, an inclined projection disposed between said portions adapted to be straddled by a chain link seated on said portions, a crosswise groove formed in said enlargement for the reception of another link of the chain, and a chain guiding member extending from the peripheral portion of the wheel to the outer face of the chain attaching member adapted to force the chain outwardly beyond the said enlargement and chain attaching member onto the shaft.

6. In a brake operating mechanism of the character described including a housing, a chain winding wheel mounted within the housing and means for operating the wheel said wheel consisting of a single piece formed with a shaft member formed with an enlargement adjacent the outer face of the wheel, having a crosswise groove formed therein for the reception of one of the chain links, a plurality of concave portions formed on the enlargement, an outwardly extended member disposed between said portions adapted to be straddled by another chain. link with the link seated on the concave portions, a box-like member formed on the wheel near its peripheral portion said box-like member having means to attach the end link of the operating chain thereto, and an inclined guiding member extending from the peripheral portion of the wheel to the outer face of the box-like member adapted to force the chain laterally beyond said enlargement and box-like member onto the shaft between the enlargement and housing.

7. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described including a housing, a chain winding wheel mounted in the housing, and means for operating the wheel, said wheel being formed from a single piece having a shaft member formed with an enlargement adjacent the outer face of the wheel with a crosswise groove formed therein, a plurality of concave portions formed on the face of the enlargement, an outwardly extended inclined member disposed between the concave portions, a box-like member formed on the outer face of the wheel within which one end of the chain is connected, and an inclined chain guide member adapted to force the chain laterally beyond said enlargement and box-like member.

8. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described, a housing, a chain winding wheel journaled within the housing and means for operating the wheel, said wheel consisting of a shaft member formed with an enlarged portion adjacent the body portion of the wheel, a crosswise grooved formation within the enlarged portion, an extended member disposed centrally of the enlarged portion adapted to be straddled by a chain link seated on the enlargement, a boxlike member disposed on the outer face of the body portion of the wheel within which one end of a chain is secured, and a chain guide member extended from the peripheral portion of the wheel and terminating flush with the outer face of said box-like member adapted to force the chain laterally onto the shaft between the said enlargement and housing.

9. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described, a housing, a chain winding wheel mounted within the housing with means for operating the wheel, said wheel consisting of a single casting, a shaft formed with an enlargement adjacent the wheel, a crosswise groove within the enlargement, a plurality of concave portions formed on the outer face of the enlargement, a beveled extension disposed between said portions adapted to be straddled by a chain link with the sides of the link seated on said portions, a boxlike member formed on the inner face of the body portion of the wheel within which one end of the chain is secured, and a downwardly and outwardly inclined chain guide member adapted to force the chain laterally beyond said enlargement and box-like member as the brake is being applied.

10. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described, a housing, a chain winding wheel mounted within the housing with means for operating the wheel, said wheel comprising a single piece, a shaft formed with an enlargement adjacent the body portion of the wheel, a crosswise groove formed within the enlargement, an outwardly projecting member centrally disposed of the enlargement beveled throughout its length, a box-like member formed on the outer face of the wheel within which one end portion of the chain is secured, and a chain guide member extending outwardly from the outer face of the wheel and inclined downwardly and outwardly for forcing the chain laterally beyond the projections and box-like member while the brake is being applied.

11. In a hand brake mechanism of the character described, a housing, a chain winding wheel mounted within the housing with means for operating the wheel, a shaft formed with an enlargement adjacent the body portion of the wheel having a crosswise groove formed therein for the reception of a chain link, concave portions formed on the face of the enlargement, an outwardly extended member disposed between the concave portions, a box-like member formed on the outer face of the wheel within which one end of a chain is secured, and a chain guide member inclined downwardly and outwardly terminating flush with the outer face of the box-like member for forcing the chain laterally, thereby preventing fouling of the chain during its winding operation. i

JAMES E. LINDEMAN. 

